Keep Your Cat Safe from the Bird Flu

Dear human,

 

Ginger Grrrl here to talk with you about the (HPAI) bird flu, the virus that has been infecting and killing wild birds worldwide. Here the scoop:

 

  • In the past three years, the bird flu has infected nearly 7 million US chickens.[1]
  • In 2024, the flu virus spread to dairy cattle.[1]
  • In California alone, the flu infected cows in 645 dairy farms.[1]
  • In January 2025, five domestic cats are known to have gotten the flu (one each in Louisiana, Iowa, and Kansas, and two in California).[2]

How Can Cats Get Bird Flu?

What usually happens is birds defecate on farm feed, cows eat the feed, then cats drink raw milk from infected cows. In Texas, for example, a dozen house cats became sick and died after the farm’s cows showed signs of bird flu. Most (or all) of the cats had drank raw cow’s milk.[3]

 

What’s more scary is that wild birds can be infected and show no signs of illness. They carry the flu to new areas when migrating. Animals that prey on birds or otherwise eat raw poultry or milk are at risk. You humans can also spread the bird flu to cats if you’ve walked on bird doo.[4]

Ginger crop on MewlaYoung.com
Your shoes could expose me to the virus.

How Do I Protect My Cat?

Caring human, we cats depend on you to keep us safe. Luckily, there are a few easy steps you can take to do so: 

  1. Always clean shoes after walking anywhere there are bird droppings.
  2. Disinfect surfaces where you walk or set your shoes down indoors, and keep shoes away from cats.[4]
  3. Don’t let your cat out where he could catch wild birds (even if he begs you to go outside).
  4. Check that any raw food you give your cat follows health guidelines. Of course, experts say that the safest bet is cooked pet food.
  5. And keep your pets up-to-date on their vaccines.[3,4]

How Can Humans Avoid Getting Bird Flu?

Luckily, at this time, we cats can’t pass the bird flu to other animals, including people. However, the more that cats get infected, the more chances there over time for a species crossover to occur.[1]

 

The humans who should worry are the farm workers who have direct contact with sick poultry or cattle. Almost of the 60+ humans in the US who contracted bird flu last year were farm workers. Thankfully, most people experience only mild symptoms.

How Can You Tell if Your Cat is Infected with the Bird Flu?

Colds and flus are common in cats, but the bird flu is still rare. Some bird flu symptoms overlap with other flu symptoms, like lethargy, a runny nose, and discharge around the eyes. However, the bird flu also has some strange symptoms that let you know the illness is serious.

The bird flu can also cause:

      • Dizziness/wobbliness
      • Seizures
      • Stiff body movements
      • Trouble breathing
      • Circling
      • and blindness.

If your cat shows some of these symptoms, be sure to notify your vet.

Did You Know? 

Many other mammals get the bird flu virus, including dogs, foxes, opossums, bears, and dolphins. However, infections in larger mammals are mild. In fact, large animals may not show any symptoms.

In Summary…

In summary, wild birds worldwide carry the bird flu which they can pass on to farm animals and pets. The risk to your cat is low, but taking just a few extra steps will ensure your fur child is safe.

 

Peace out,

Ginger

😼😸😼😸

Written by Ginger Grrrl with a little help from Mewla Young, January 2025.

REFERENCES

  1. The Center for Disease Control (2024). H5 Bird Flu: Current Situation. Retrieved January 29, 2025 from  https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/situation-summary/index.html#:~:text=H5.

  2. USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (January, 2025). Detections of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Mammals. Retrieved January 28, 2025 from https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/mammals

  3. Boden, S. (January, 2025). What to know about protecting your cat from bird flu. National Public Radio. Retrieved January 28, 2025 from https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/01/22/nx-s1-5270042/cat-food-bird-flu-raw-milk.

  4. Hesman, S., Garcia de Jesus, E, and Raloff, J. (October, 2024). Can my Cats Get the Bird Flu? Retrieved January 30, 2025 from https://www.snexplores.org/article/h5n1-bird-flu-pet-cats